Scorpia Rising VI - On the Run
by sevenofmine
Summary: Lee Danes is a convicted murderer and pedophile.After fifteen years in prison he wants to take revenge on the man who brought him into jail: Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo.But since Tony's wife Ziva died in the prequel story, he's suffering severe depressions and nobody can reach him...except for Caroline Monteballo. But can the criminal realize that she's still in love with him?
1. Chapter 1

**The 6th Scorpia Rising story. It is just a short story and it is a bit different than the previous ones. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy reading it and please do comment as it is perhaps my last Scorpia Rising story. It depends on how much you like the idea of inventing the Montebello-characters and that everything is about Tony...**

**Therefore please write me what you think.**

**I do not own anything. This is an NCIS fanfiction, the idea of Scorpia and Scorpia Rising is from the Alex Rider books and the character Danes is partly derived from Torchwood.**

* * *

Chapter 1

It was a dark and rainy night when the deputy foreign secretary stepped out of his car and hurried over to the co-driver's seat to open the door. He helped her out and together they ran to the porch while he fumbled the key out of his pockets. They entered his house, which wasn't small for a man in his political position.

"And that's my home," he explained and helped the woman out of her leather jacket. In contrary to him, she did not come from the social position that he originated from, but rather looked like a cheap prostitute who he met just tonight on a party at one of Britain's richest guy's mansions.

After all, she seemed to have smuggled herself inside the event or was asked along with some other women to join and make the night sweeter for the people who were attending those long and boring speeches. However, he felt himself to be one of the luckiest man for that he had managed to persuade one of them to accompany him home.

Carrying her jacket, she followed him into the bedroom, where he invited her to lie down on the king-size canopy bed. She smiled when he went off to get some champagne and returning with two glasses and a bottle, he found her already undressed comfortably in his bed so that he decided to put down what he was holding and also removed everything else that was on him.

He crawled onto the bed, still smirking at her and grabbed the secret storage of condoms in the draw of his night table to return onto the woman. He stroke her so very pronounced cheekbones and kissed her full lips before he removed his last clothes and joined her under the bedclothes. Slowly he began his movement, back and forward, in and out.

His head became redder in effort and that he of course didn't want to be a disappointment for the beautiful lady. With increasing arousal he felt her legs rising against his body and her thigh at his by-fat-hidden waistline. That grip became stronger and only to late he noticed how her legs clenched around him. He screamed loudly, both in arousal and pain when her hands joined his fight for death and grabbed for his neck.

His head seemed to burst into thousands of pieces and he tried to cough but could hardly do anything than beg for mercy with the pure glance of his eyes. But soon also that vanished along with the last spark of life that left his body at exactly eleven pm of the mentioned day.

The woman stood up immediately as soon as the dead deputy foreign secretary fell onto the bed and didn't move anymore. She dressed calmly and only when she had put her jacket back on, she took out her cell. After ringing three times, her sister answered.

"Have you had a look at the clock?" Caroline asked nerved.

"I've killed him. I'll send you the photo now," Katarina simply said and ended the call. She took two photos with the camera of the phone and without looking back, she left the bedroom and the house of the man.

It took only one minute until her older sibling called back. "I got the pictures and mailed them. I assume you'll be paid within the next two hours. Congrats, can I now continue sleeping?"

"You weren't sleeping but whoever he is, greet him from me," Katarina said when she walked to the rented car at the street where all CCTV cameras were accidentally failing tonight.

Her sister didn't answer and so she put the cell back into her pocket. She opened the car and took the two canisters of benzene. With all the time in the world she returned to the bedroom and emptied the boxes on the bed.

After having lit the room, she left again and now returned to her car for the final time. On the way back to the hotel room, two cars of the fire brigade were going where she came from.

* * *

***_Fifteen years earlier, Interrogation room, Baltimore PD_***

Tony entered the room and sat down with the back to the looking-glass. He threw the file on the table and making his disgust obvious, he opened it and began reading the first page.

"You know the reports by heart, boy. Now, stop that shit and tell me what you wanna tell," the man opposite to him said annoyed. He seemed to be in his mid-fifties, short gray hair, he wore a suit that looked pretty old and some jewelry to show off.

"Great. You are convicted for murder and leading a child pornography ring. In your properties, pedophiles met under false pretense to visit a concert and sexually abused children in the basements of the named facilities. Do you deny it?"

"You said I was convicted. What do you expect me, to confess?"

"You are also accused of sexual abuse yourself and murder of at least one boy and one girl at the age of six but also of a police officer," Tony hissed, trying not to lose his control.

"It was self-defense."

"It was not. You shot Miguela in cold blood," he screamed.

"Miguela…I thought for you it would be 'Officer Juarez'. I also thought that couples shouldn't be allowed to work as partners," the man said calmly.

Tony sighed and recalled not to become offensive. "We have proofs to bring you into jail for a very long time, Mr. Danes. I promise you personally that you will rot in the dirtiest prison that I can find in this country and you will think about what you have done to her and the children," he said and closed the files.

"Let me tell you something," Danes said and bent forward to which Tony reacted with a disgusted look on his face. "I know about secrets of your government that you would never dream about. My clients," he explained referring to the pedophile men who hadn't been arrested that night, "are very known men not only of this tiny region that is called your jurisdiction. In only a few days, I'll be a free man again. I have enough power to spend the rest of my long life abroad and somewhere sunny and warm and I promise _you_ that I will make you personally suffer."

He leaned back again and let the words sunk into Tony's head. Tony didn't move a muscle. His partner Officer Miguela Juarez and he had been close to shutting down a drug traffic organization when they had stumbled into this ring of pedophiles. In the night of the arrest, dozens of officers and FBI agents had stormed the buildings and Tony himself had found out that Lee Danes had been the head of the criminal organization.

Together, the two officers had found him in his own house with two boys chained at a bed. On his escape, he had killed her partner and Tony had shot him in response. Unfortunately, for him, the criminal had survived and was now brought to trial. But when Tony left the interrogation room in anger, he knew that he would hardly stand a chance.

But he had luck. The judge had been fair and with the right lawyers, Lee Danes was arrested and brought to judgment only one week later. But his punishment had been set for only fifteen years.

And throughout all this time, he still made Tony responsible for that his well-planned system of corrupt cops and lawyers had broken down on the very day he needed it and promised the prison guards every single day that he would return for revenge.

**I will upload the next chapter as soon as I have got enough reviews ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Same game: enough reviews = next chapter ;)**

Chapter 2

***Now***

Katarina parked the car outside the building. She still felt unsure about driving on the left side of the street and was glad that she managed it to this address without any accident. Checking her gun, she stepped out and entered the empty warehouse in the industry area. Glad to see someone, she felt relieved when she recognized the face of the middle man. He was sitting in the abandoned former office and was silently smoking a cigarette.

"I've just seen it in the news. Fire in the deputy foreign secretary in downtown. His body has just been found and identified," he said and waved with his iPhone showing the breaking news.

Katarina leaned against the dusty table and folded her arms. "The money," she said.

"Will be booked on your account in Switzerland within the next two hours. I assume you want to be sure that we pay you," he explained and blew the smoke in the air.

"I use to trust my clients but when I don't even know who I am working for, I have no reason to believe anything," she answered with her blue eyes fixed on the man.

"My boss wants to stay in the dark. I assume you understand this."

"Of course, I do. Especially since he just got out of prison so recently," she said.

Now, she had caught the man's attention: "I don't think he'd appreciate it that you know too much about him. You could easily become a problem." He dropped the cigarette on the floor and stood up.

"I thought I already was," she said with a nod that showed that she already knew a lot.

"You are smart. Not a lot people have yet figured out who they have been working for when he hired them."

"I assume even less survived."

"What makes you think that you'll survive?"

"Nothing."

"I take along you can keep quiet under the given circumstances. Your reputation says that you keep a lot of things to yourself."

She didn't answer and so he continued, "there're a lot of rumors. That you have been involved in a lot of things and that you still live shows that you never give away anything about the persons you're working for. So, what do you want that you also keep quiet this time?" he asked and with every sentence he moved closer to her so that he was now standing directly in front of the woman.

"The man I killed tonight has betrayed Lee Danes fifteen years ago. He went to prison and was released only a few days ago. The only thing I am interested in, is how many vengeance plans exist. A lot of people let him down. If he takes revenge for all of them, why does he always hire another hit man. Wouldn't it be easier to organize to just ask one person to finish all of them? Like that, he runs the risk that even more people than me find out who they're working for and another time in a court is not necessarily what Danes needs, is it?" she asked still calmly.

To her surprise, the man began to smile. "This is good thinking. Unfortunately, you were the last person to plan an assassination. All the other peoples have already died and only one more man is on Danes' list before he disappears for his retirement plans will be his only plans."

Katarina nodded slowly. "I have come across the files of his trial. I had been wondering why so many people mentioned in there had died. This was how I figured out who I was working for. And please believe me, I can keep quiet or I wouldn't be still alive. I've managed to keep my friends close and my enemies even closer," she said and walked toward the door. "One more thing: The files have been partly classified. Why?"

"Witness protection. All the cops used for the trial have been spread into protection programs throughout the US. One police officer has been shot and the other one has been deleted from the file and retransferred. But I can assure you, that we have the right people who were able to trace him."

That made Katarina stop and turn around. "You know, I expect you to kill me. Not now, but within the next few days you'll surely start an attempt. But believe me, you are happier when you're not my enemy. I could be useful and I hope that my reputation goes so far to say that murder is not the only thing that I am capable of doing," she turned around and while leaving the warehouse, she added, "you have my number."

* * *

"You know that it was pretty much the most stupid thing that you could have done," Caroline complained as soon as Katarina had finished telling her about the meeting.

"I know," she said and leaned back on the couch.

Caroline shook her head and silently sipped her beer.

"Where's that guy you had been with earlier?" Katarina suddenly noticed.

"Gone already," she answered shortly which made her sibling raise an eyebrow.

"Have you managed to get the rest of the files?" she changed topic although letting her sister know that the issue of the stranger was not over yet in the case that it had been more than a ONS.

"No. They're too well hidden. The case of Lee Danes had been a scandal within the CIA even. They did everything to protect the victims and also most of the police officers. Why are you so interested?"

"I don't know. I just don't have a good feeling working for a man like him. I don't wanna be dragged into _that_ kind of business."

"I'm sorry, what?" Caroline asked and nearly choked on her beer. Katarina ignored her, so she continued, "since when do you develop a conscience?"

Katarina shook her head and finished the bottle. She put it back on the table and answered, "he's a convicted murderer and pedophile. I…don't know. Don't you have a strange feeling regarding that?"

"Of course, I do. But I have always been your conscience…I have always tried to hold you back from any mistakes," she added.

"Like what? Ling?"

"For example. I told you she'd leave you after a while."

"Edoardo?"

"I liked him. He was…perfect for you," she said. They fell into a long silence, like always when they talked about the persons they had loved and who had perished.

"I guess we'll never have luck," Katarina finally said.

Caroline just wanted to answer when her cell rang.

"Who is it?" Katarina asked and expected a call from the friend who currently looked after Carey and Scarlet.

"I don't know. Unknown caller," the older sibling said and activated the speaker phone. "Yes?" Caroline asked curiously.

After a while, a known voice answered, "this is Special Agent Gibbs. Caroline?"

"Yes."

"When was the last time you and your sister had contact or have heard something about Tony?"

She hesitated for a moment, but then said, "when I brought Tony into the hospital in Italy. I had waited until the police had arrived but avoided them. Since then, I haven't heard anything. Why are you asking?" She didn't get an answer but instead, the phone call was ended.

"Forty-five seconds," Katarina read on the display.

"Better we start moving," Caroline said and stood up to begin packing.

So it was only twenty minutes later that the sisters sat in a car a hundred meters away of the hotel watching the British police storming the building. "I think we should find out what they wanted," Caroline muttered when she started driving away.

"I think we should rather return to Italy," Katarina said.

"But what has happened to Tony? Why has Gibbs called?"

"Is everything you can think about Tony? My god, Caroline, he's a married man and a cop, forget him."

"Can you forget Edoardo?" she answered, knowing it was a wound point.

"You have _never_ been close to Tony and you never will be. For him, you're just another criminal who was stupid enough to rescue his life. Whatever the reason was for the call and whatever happened to Tony, Gibbs is suspecting us. And we have nothing to do with it, so I propose that we return to Italy until they have found out whatever they needed to find out and leave us alone."

Caroline didn't answer but silently continued driving. Somehow, she was right. They should really return and stay quiet for a while, especially since Katarina had risked her life in that warehouse. She didn't doubt that the guy would have killed her if she didn't have that kind of charm.

* * *

Katarina had absolutely no good feeling leaving the island. Her sister was already on a plane to America while she was on the way toward French soil. She had tried to persuade her sibling to come with her, but they were both equally stubborn.

Katarina stood up when the boarding time of her plane began. There was always this awkward quick moment when the security guards checked her passport. She was hardly travelling under her real name as she wasn't even allowed to leave a country which was not member of the European Union. But the security guy just nodded and didn't double check it.

She took back the passport and her flight ticket and continued to the plane. She waited a long time before she arrived and could sit down at her seat at the window. Five minutes later, an elderly man sat down next to her, greeted her quickly and then took out a book. Katarina still watched the movements outside when the plane began to roll and finally took off.

The people and cars became smaller and tinier until there were only clouds under them. Katarina closed her eyes and tried not to think about whatever her sister was now to do. What did she think? That she could help them again and was not arrested for rescuing a federal agent? As soon as FBI got hold on her, it was sure that she ended up in prison without a trial.

* * *

Right after work, McGee decided to drive by at the pizzeria and then continue to Tony's house. He knew that the idea was stupid and that his friend neither picked up phones nor talked to anybody. It was understandable. It had been pain to him to see his colleague get the news of Ziva's death. They had been on the way to the safe house and all that they had found was a crime scene which was completely in the hands of the CIA.

Tony had been sent home and on 'vacation' from work. The investigation was still ongoing but to be honest, neither CIA nor FBI had a clue. Ziva and the agent Rose had been found dead in the kitchen and the baby had safely been sleeping in the bedroom.

It had been horrible. As Tony was unable to react or do anything, little Kelly had been brought to Abby who had volunteered to look after the little girl. Since then, Tony stayed at home. The only reasons he went out was to make a quick stop at the supermarket or to visit his new psychiatrist.

But without talking to much, Dr. Bell made clear that Tony made hardly progress. Who would?, McGee wondered. He has lost his wife and wasn't even able to care for his own baby child.

McGee sighed deeply before he rang the bell. After a while, he did so again and then knocked the old wood. "Tony, it's me…just open, please," he said desperately. It took another time until he heard the door unlocking and a known face looked out at him.

"What do you want?" Tony asked. He was unshaven, his hair untidy and he looked like having cried and not slept for ages.

"I…have pizza," McGee started and showed him the two boxes. "Just…let us talk."

"I talk three times a week with my psychiatrist."

"Tony…you can't go on like this forever."

"Of course I can't. As soon as the CIA has found out who did this to Ziva, I'll find that son of a bitch and kill him." He closed the door but McGee already had his foot on the threshold. "Come all in," Tony said ironically and let McGee enter. He looked around to find a place where to put the pizzas. It didn't look at all like one year ago when they had celebrated Christmas all together.

Now, it was untidy, full of things and papers, the TV was on, as well as the radio and the laptop on the couch, right next to an empty and a half-empty wine bottle. Tony walked on to the kitchen and put the used glass in the sink. McGee placed the pizza boxes on the table and opened some cupboards to find clean glasses.

"Listen, I won't play 'best mates' with you. To be honest, you're fucking annoying. Now, either you shut up or get the hell out of here."

McGee looked around and watched his ex-colleague already eating his pizza. He has never heard him talking like that. He must have lived very isolated…but the death of Ziva was nearly two weeks ago. On the other hand, no one could expect from him to continue his life as if nothing had happened. "Tony…"

"I said shut up! What is it with all of you? Can't I stay on my own for a little while. I-"

"Now you shut up!" McGee shouted back harshly and surprised about his own voice. As was Tony, who just stared at him like a dog whose bone was him denied.

"I am sorry for you, yes, I am. But you cannot get over her if you lock yourself up in your flat and deny that the world continues spinning. Go out there, Tony, talk with people. I don't say forget her, I say, live with it!" he shouted.

"You have no idea," Tony muttered silently. He dropped the pizza slice and added, "out…OUT!"

McGee didn't think twice. He didn't recognize Tony anymore, he was a different man. You couldn't cope with the loss of a loved person. It drove you mad, one way or the other. Just look at Gibbs, he thought when he fled from the building.

**Thank you for reading and please comment. The next chapter will be uploaded soon :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**I continued with this story although I actually wanted more than one review to continue. I see no point in posting chapters without knowing if you like the direction the story takes. So it might take some while until I upload the next chapters... :/**

Chapter 3

Tony had been staring out of the window until the sky fell dark. He looked back to the two open pizza boxes but then moved quickly. He put on his shoes and although it was quite cold outside, he didn't take a jacket. Why should he feel warm? There was no warmth left on this earth, not for him. He got out of his flat and on the street.

He decided to walk instead of taking his car. The funny thing was, as he thought so, that despite everything that happened, he couldn't get loose of the feeling that he was being followed. He ignored his senses and continued straight on. The buildings were getting higher and the streets darker. The street lamps were flickering and some of them didn't burn at all.

He felt the dark and felt himself a part of the shadows, someone anonymously walking through the city that never sleeps. Right here, nothing was awake. Just a bit windy, making him hear the noises of the freeway a few hundred yards away. It was a parking deck where he stopped and looked up. He didn't think before making the next step and started hurrying up the staircase. He reached the last floor and stared at the black sky. Not a single star was to be seen, everything was covered in clouds.

He could barely see anything and just the lights of the street and the neon signs of the shops illuminated the scene. Then he looked down. He was standing at the edge of the building, five stories up. What was he doing here? He was a coward, what had he thought? He shook his head but nevertheless sat down at the corner. He breathed deeply and imagined the velocity with which his body must crash on the ground. How long would he feel it? How long until he didn't sense anything? And what came then? Just nothing, or perhaps heaven or hell? What did he expect?

"There is nothing," a voice suddenly said and he looked aside frightened. He had recognized the voice but he would have never guessed her to be standing here right now.

"What do you mean?" he asked and felt tears running down his eyes.

Caroline sat down at the edge next to him. "You're thinking about what comes after death. Or when it comes. When you fall down, or when you hit the ground, or only seconds after? Will you feel the pain? And after you died, will you still feel the pain?" she said without looking at him.

"And now you're gonna tell me that you thought about that before, right?" he asked nerved. "You're gonna say that you wanted to take your life as well, because of your boyfriend who died but you decided against it because you have a wonderful daughter who you just couldn't leave alone, am I right?"

She hesitated for a while, just staring down on the street. "It is still tempting, you know," she eventually answered.

"Just leave me alone," Tony said harshly and tried not to look at her.

But she just came closer to him. "You won't do it, Tony."

"And how do you know? Because you think that I can't leave my daughter alone? Because you think I can't die without knowing who killed Ziva? Because you think that I have anything to fucking do with my life?" he hissed back but his angry words became more a sobbing until he finally only whined and leaned his head on her shoulder.

She placed her hand around him and fondled tenderly his arm. Without saying anything, she kissed his hair softly and leaned her own head against his. And like that they sat there for quite a while, not knowing what to say and nothing there was to be said…

* * *

Tony didn't know how Caroline had persuaded him to go home again. And here he was, living a déjà vu. Hadn't he once dined with her before? And hadn't she then planned to kill him? But like two years before, she was still a beautiful woman. He had put the pizza in the microwave and now they were silently eating.

"How is the investigation going on?" Caroline asked silently.

He nodded, he knew that he needed to talk about it. He couldn't just push the memories away. "They found no DNA, no traces, no message, nothing. But they had found skid marks of a motorcycle. With CCTV they found the license plate, it had been stolen one day before and that's it."

Caroline nodded, she didn't know what to say either. She knew exactly how he felt and that nothing could help him. You wanted to push everyone away but at the same time you wanted that someone hugged you so deeply.

"That is not why you are here, is it?" he suddenly asked when he brought the empty boxes to the paper bin.

"Gibbs called me," she answered honestly.

He stopped his movement and breathing. "Why?" he asked curiously.

"He just wanted to know when I have been last time in contact with you. He didn't say more."

"And how had you found out about Ziva?"

"I read the latest NCIS reports. Tony…I haven't said yet how sorry I am and-"

"Just stop it, okay!" he shouted, but then said in normal voice again, "I'm sorry. It's just…that everybody…and…" He lost himself in his words and she hugged him again.

"I know," she whispered into his head and still embracing they walked over to the couch and sat down. Silently, she whipped away a single tear from his cheek.

"And where have you been in the last time?" Tony changed the subject.

"Katarina and I had stayed in Italy for a while before she got a job offer in Great Britain. It had only been one single task and she had managed to endanger herself."

"How?"

"She knew too much. I just hope that they'll lose interest in her." Tony smiled shortly, "she has always been curious on things, right?"

"Yes, I think that's her biggest problem. As long as she doesn't have a certain position, she should just do what she's asked for and nothing more."

They looked at each other and didn't know what to say anymore. Slowly, their faces came closer and without thinking about it, their soft lips touched and kissed tenderly. None of them wanted to stop it but finally she drew back and waited for a reaction from his side. He just looked back but pulled her head back to him to continue. After such a long time in grief and pain, she felt so good and like everything he had ever waited for.

Her skin was so soft, her blue eyes so appetent, he mouth so small and her hair so perfect. He pushed her down on the couch but didn't crawl onto her but lay down next to her body.

"Tony, I -" she started saying but he pressed his lips again on hers.

"Don't talk," he whispered and his hand glided through her dark brown hair with those beautiful light brown strands. It was curly and fell softly down her shoulders and her back.

They continued kissing and he fondled her hair until she was half-way sleeping. He had already dozen off as well, when he suddenly woke up by Caroline's soft hand on his cheek. "What's up?" he asked.

"You smell that?" she said with a nervous voice.

"Smell what?"

"Smells like…benzene," she answered and got up immediately. It only took a second until they both heard the thrilling noise of a smoke detector.

Now, Tony was awake as well. He stumbled over to the lamp and switched on the light while Caroline was already opening the door to the hallway. "Tony!" she screamed when she noticed the flames at the staircase.

The neighbors in the flat opposite had already gotten up and were standing right next to her. "Oh my god," the elderly lady said.

Tony rushed forward but noticed that the whole staircase was burning. "How is that possible? There's nothing there that could burn," the husband of the lady said.

"You were right, Caroline. Benzene. Someone spilled benzene here, it is arson," Tony said and hurried back to Caroline when the flames already started licking at the wall.

"What shall we do?" the lady asked and stumbled backward when it became hotter in the hallway. They already heard the sirens of the fire brigade but the fire was coming closer.

"There's a fire escape ladder outside a window in my flat," Tony said and pushed open his door again. He led the three people through his flat and into the living room.

"Tony, the whole floor under us seems to be burning," Caroline said anxiously and pointed down. The flames were already reaching out of the windows.

"Climb upward. To the roof," Tony said and helped the woman and the man out of the window. They both screamed when they were outside, far too high for their gust. "Now you," Tony said and pushed Caroline forward.

"No, you first."

"I don't have time to argue," he said and already heard the cracking of wood.

"You wanted to take your life only hours ago. I won't leave you in here alone, and now, get out of the window!" she shouted and he climbed outside as well. She followed after him and saw that there was no way that they could climb down.

The fire brigade had arrived and obviously spotted them on their way up.

"Over here," Tony said and led the elderly pair to the building right next to their house. They opened the door on the roof and Caroline followed them down the staircase. The woman was loudly screaming and even her husband couldn't calm her down.

Neither Tony nor Caroline said a word until they arrived at the street. By then, the fire had taken over the whole building and black smoke was coming out of every single window.

They were immediately attended by some ambulance men. "I'm fine," Tony said but was forced to sit down with Caroline at the edge of the ambulance car. They were both covered with two warming blankets and handed a coffee.

Tony sipped it slowly and stared at his burning house without realizing what was happening. He turned to her and only noticed now that she was trembling. "Everything okay?" he asked and took the coffee from her trembling hands.

"Someone killed your wife. Now, someone burnt down your house and tried to kill you," she answered nervously.

He had never seen her as scared as now. "But nothing happened to me. And I had thought about moving anyway," he said and put his hand around her shoulder. "McGee had been right. I just needed someone to talk. I could talk to you."

"Doesn't make you feel any better."

"Oh, it makes me see that I can't continue my life as before. Things have changed and I need to adapt."


	4. Chapter 4

**After I was half-way forgetting this story (probably because I hardly got reviews), I upload the next chapter now. Thanks for the reviews I already got :)**

Chapter 4

Fornell entered the NCIS HQ and his first glance fell on the woman sitting at McGee's desk. "What is she doing here?" he asked surprised and pointed at Caroline.

"She had been with Tony yesterday night when the fire broke out," Gibbs explained and pointed over at Tony who was sleeping at his desk. The boss himself stood with McGee in front of the plasma screen looking at the crime scene photos. "Have you come to any conclusion yet?" Gibbs asked.

"No, the FBI is continuing the investigation and we think that it has something to do with the murder of Ziva," he answered, "why hasn't she been arrested?"

"She was a victim of the fire as well, we saw it inappropriate to use the situation as an advantage," McGee explained.

"Does the director know?" Fornell asked.

"He knows that I am here but he does not know who I am," Caroline then answered herself.

Fornell nodded, "then you should better pay attention. You're wanted for murder, terrorism and cybercrimes. If I were you, I'd leave as long as I still can."

Caroline ignored his warning and looked back at the photos.

"You haven't noticed anything, have you, Caroline?" McGee asked.

"Despite the fact that someone wanted to kill Tony, I think I was too busy saving our lives," she answered sarcastically.

"You have so many contacts and you have no idea who might have attacked an NCIS agent last night?" Fornell said, still not agreeing with that a contract killer was so easily invited into the HQ.

"I don't have my hands in everything."

"Hard to believe."

"Better start believing."

"Can you stop it?" Gibbs asked pissed without turning around. "Why are you here after all? I assume not because of the fire investigation," he added and then turned around to Fornell.

"No, I wanted to talk to Tony," the FBI agent admitted and hearing his name, the special agent suddenly awoke.

"What have I missed?"

"I wanted to talk to you about something," Fornell explained.

"About yesterday night?"

"No, about something else. It might have to do with the occurring of yesterday."

"Do you have a suspect?" McGee asked surprised and even Caroline seemed to be interested.

"Rather a theory. There is someone you know, Tony, and he has recently been released from prison. You have brought him there."

"Oh," Tony said and slowly, his face showed that he understood.

"Can someone enlighten me?" Caroline asked impatiently.

"I don't think so many people should know. But there is someone Tony brought into jail fifteen years ago and only two days ago, several people died who had once betrayed this person, among them the British deputy foreign secretary."

"Lee Danes," Caroline muttered slowly.

"I beg you pardon?" Fornell asked directly alarmed. "What do you know about it?" he added.

"Well…I know who killed that British…however, I read the files about Lee Danes and I just couldn't find the data about his arrest fifteen years ago," she answered still shocked by that information.

"You have been in Britain two days ago. I saw your arrival at the airport on CCTV, have you killed the deputy foreign secretary?"

"No…and I think I should better not say anything more about it. But I had absolutely no idea about that Danes had something to do with Tony. It was difficult enough to find out for whom I was working after all."

"I assume I can't take this as a confession but you have helped killing the British politician?" Fornell asked and came nearer to her.

"I…prefer to not talk about it."

"Listen to me, Caroline. I don't f***ing care what you prefer. You are involved in killing a high British politician, you have worked for the man who probably ordered the murder of Ziva and an attempted one of Tony. You are moving already on very thin ice and I promise you that you'll never leave this country again without handcuffs if you don't start talking."

"I don't know anything!" she hissed back.

"Who killed the secretary?...I won't arrest him or you, I just wanna know. This stays between us."

"Katarina…it was just a killing and she had asked too many questions. She returned to Italy now."

"What exactly do you mean with 'asking too many questions'?"

"She wondered why they hired different contract killers for every murder and not letting do one person the dirty work. She offered her help but I just hope that they'll ignore her."

"Who is 'they'?"

"Her contact person. I can't tell you anything about him. She met him twice, the first time she received specific orders how to kill the target and the second time to assure the payment. End of the story," she answered showing that she absolutely disliked her treason.

"Thank you," Fornell said and stepped backward again. "Can I now have a private word with Tony?" he asked while Caroline folded her arms and watched them walk away skeptically.

"Katarina is in Italy now?" Gibbs asked and she just nodded.

* * *

"Listen to me, Tony. I have no idea how Lee Danes managed to get out within fifteen years but about two hours ago, he disappeared from FBI surveillance. The deputy secretary of UK was only one of the witnesses who had helped to bring him into jail and most of the others are dead. We now suspect that he has ordered the death of Ziva and that he also tried to kill you yesterday."

"Great. And what do you plan to do now? Put me in witness protection? For how long?"

"Danes is a free man. Until we can accuse him with his new crimes, he have to bring you somewhere safe."

"He killed how many people and you don't have a proof?"

"It isn't that easy. Even Caroline said that it was hard to find out who she had been working for."

"Can't you ask Caroline how she contacted this middle man? Perhaps he can lead us back to Danes."

"Caroline is a criminal. She has no intention in saving your ass. She always searched her own profit in everything she does."

"Then offer her profit! Make a deal," Tony hissed back. What has been the profit of the previous night then? Why had she met him at all? What has she wanted? "Why has she met me yesterday?" he suddenly asked.

"I don't know. What has she done at your house after all?" Fornell now started to think about it as well.

"She had found me and persuaded me not to…"

"Tony?"

"Doesn't matter. I think she came to DC after Gibbs had called her."

"Then give me one reason why she should do that?"

"…me?" Tony answered after a while, but then added, "why don't we ask her?" He wanted to go but Fornell held him back.

"Tony, she's a murderer. She does not have any feelings toward you, believe me. Listen, I know her already quite a while and I knew Yassen. Since his death, she is changed completely."

"You knew her when she was still together with Yassen?" Tony asked surprised.

Fornell nodded, "she was a cruel bastard but she disappeared completely when she had gotten pregnant. I met her shortly after the birth of Scarlet when I had arrested her. She could escape but I will never forget it. When Yassen died, she became someone different."

"What do you mean? I know that she is cruel, ruthless and violent, but she knows her limit and is very responsible."

"Her motivation for murder is now revenge. It makes her feel good to take a life as Yassen was taken from her. She was in love with Yassen and his death made her reckless and brutal. She had killed before, but she had had other reasons. She even had second thoughts from time to time and knew when to spare life. Now, she does everything you pay her for or you just give her a reason. You remember our second 9/11, you remember when she helped you attacking the Mossad HQ in Tel Aviv? Has she even blinked when she was responsible for the murder of hundreds of people? And now Tony, what do you think made her like that…I don't want you to become like her."

Tony nodded and tried to process what he has just found out. But then he returned to the office. "You going?" he asked when he noticed that Caroline was just about to leave.

"Yes, I think I have told you enough. And I'm gonna lose my good reputation when it comes out that I helped an FBI agent."

Tony wanted to respond, but he saw that he really couldn't demand help of a hit man…whatever they had been through together. "I'll leave you a window open of twenty-four hours to leave this country. After that, I'll set you back on the wanted-list," Fornell said and without a word, Caroline left the NCIS building.

"And what happens now?" McGee asked.

"I'll call my agents. Tony will be brought to a safe house until this is over. I can't allow him to actively work on this case. It is too dangerous. Any further investigation will be taken over by the FBI."

"You can't do this!" Gibbs complained.

"I'll send my men here. They'll examine what you have found out. There is no discussion, Jethro," Fornell said and indicated Tony to follow him outside.

* * *

When Caroline was back in downtown of Sacramento and sure that the two FBI agents have lost her, she decided to go back to the hotel where she had checked in two days ago. She opened the door to her room and didn't move in surprise. She nearly shrieked but the recognized the person sitting on the bed.

"What are you doing here?" she asked surprised and closed the door behind her.

"I thought I could pay you a visit," she answered with a smile.

"I thought you were still in London," she answered still surprised and sat down next to the other woman on the bed.

"And I thought you'd like to see me."

"Isn't it funny, you follow me since Italy," Caroline said and bent forward to kiss her welcome. "Do you have a job here?" she added.

"You obviously don't have one. What is it between you and the NCIS agent?"

"Nothing."

"Looked different when you went home to him yesterday night."

"You spied on me?" Caroline asked and raised an eyebrow.

"I was just…coincidentally near you," she answered obviously lying. "But don't tell me you didn't miss me," she said and her hand glided over Caroline's shoulder.

"Nah…" Caroline said and pressed her down on the bed. "You meet me in the worst parts of Rome, you follow me to England, explaining you'd have a job to do there and now you're breaking into my hotel room in Washington…you're a bad girl, Janet," she said and climbed onto the woman to open the buttons of her blouse.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Tony only saw the landscape rushing by without realizing that he was getting farer away to his new home with every second. He only remembered Fornell's words, 'you will be safe, Tony'. As safe as Ziva, he thought. They brought him to a safe house, like so often before. And yet they have always been found. By now, every single FBI safe house was known to at least one criminal network and data was not a question of loyalty and relations but of money.

And Lee Danes had enough money to get every little information he wanted. So Tony didn't doubt that he already knew where they brought him. And even if he knew about all safe houses and didn't know in which Tony was, fifteen years of suffering was enough to burn down each of them. Tony didn't even know how he felt toward Danes.

He had brought him into prison with a month of hell, including nights full of work, horror weekends, the death of his partner, endless interrogations with affiliated persons and Danes himself, as well as giving testimony at court so that the convicted murderer and pedophile finally got what he earned. At last, the punishment was not even hard enough and there everyone could see, how deep the net of bribed police officers and judges really were.

Danes had had influence to the very underground of Baltimore and the cities around and Tony had stumbled into it like a fly getting lost in the spider's web. And now he was going to pay the price for being loyal and not corrupt to the law: He was the one to be punished now. Wasn't the death of Ziva enough? At least his daughter hadn't been touched by the murderer and was now safely guarded by Abby and McGee night and day as they expected an attack as well.

And Tony would never dare to bring his little girl in danger. It broke his heart that he hasn't seen her for a long time and only the short night with Caroline made him realize how important life still was.

* * *

Caroline was sitting in front of her laptop, on her bed, only dressed in a bathrobe. Her current girlfriend – or rather quick affaire, as she didn't plan anything to serious - was sitting behind her and played with her long brown hair. "What are you doing?" she asked and started to massage her. Janet herself was only a few years younger than Caroline although she already looked older. She was as tall as her girlfriend but had paler skin due to her Canadian origin. She had long, curly blonde hair which still stand in contrast to her body's color.

"Just checking something," Caroline muttered while loading 'tor'.

"Come on, put the laptop aside and let us have some RL fun," Janet said and kissed her neck and shoulders.

Suddenly, Caroline's cell phone rang. She reached out to the night table and had a quick look at the display. "I gotta take this, my sister," she answered and stood up and disappeared into the bath.

Janet reassured that she wasn't looking anymore and then pulled the laptop toward her. She already got up to get her own cell and searched the right contact in the address book.

* * *

It was early night again when Tony and FBI agent Marc Dylan arrived at the house in the middle of nowhere. They carried their suitcases and the huge amount of food into the little wooden cabin.

"Great, and what are we now supposed to do here?" Tony asked while he looked around. There was nothing, just a nearly empty kitchen, a living room with old furniture, nothing electronic but ceiling lamps and one single phone.

"Just spend the time," the agent answered and put down the last box of food on the kitchen table.

"Rather waste the time," Tony said and looked outside. Should he really wait here until the man who killed his wife was caught? What if they didn't find him? What if he wasn't found guilty? Would he have to live under witness protection for the rest of his life? And what about his daughter? He wished he would have spend more time with her. Silently he sat down on the couch and began to cry.

* * *

"Where is Tony?" Gibbs asked when he pushed the emergency halt button of the elevator.

Fornell sighed. He hated these talks. "I cannot tell you."

"It is just me, Tobias."

"And what would you do with that information?"

Gibbs sighed as he didn't have an answer, so Fornell continued, "do you have the current residence of Ms. Montebello?"

"No, I let her go. After all she only risked to come here to look after Tony. I did a few researches and she had really put herself in danger and didn't have any other motivation to come here."

"They once had had a date…"

"Caroline had wanted to kill Tony."

"Do you think there is more than that?"

"You're always telling me that she's a brutal murderer, Tobias," Gibbs sighed.

"I don't trust her. It isn't a coincidence that she turns up here when her sister just worked for Lee Danes. The FBI is well aware that Danes wants his revenge and we are absolutely certain that he ordered Ziva's death. We have also contacted Katarina over a secure line and with a little bit of blackmailing she explained that Danes uses a different hit man for each act of vengeance but we could find similar patterns all over the crime scene."

"What do you mean?"

"The killing of Ziva has similarities to two other murders, one in England happening parallel to Katarina's mission and one in Italy a few weeks ago. I think he has a disciple doing more than just one thing for him," Fornell explained.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"You know Caroline better. Would she help someone to kill Tony? After all, money is for her what counts."

"She could have died in the fire."

"That's the most difficult point in that theory," Fornell admitted and turned on the power of the elevator again.


	6. Chapter 6

**The last chapter of this story:**

**If you have read up to here, please just quickly write me a comment.**

Chapter 6

It took them about two hours to locate where Caroline had booked a hotel room under the false name of Rose Smith. As a criminal, she felt attracted to the lower social level of the city and although they all knew that she could have gotten a better residence, she seemed to be at a small hotel in the district where usual tourists didn't go.

"You don't think she'll run when cops are coming?" McGee asked when he followed Gibbs and Fornell into the room.

"He has a point. She knows that we don't wanna have a usual chat," Fornell answered when he pushed open the doors.

There was a young girl at the reception just refreshing her make-up. "What can I do for you?" she asked bored when looking up.

"FBI and NCIS," Fornell explained and showed his badge, as did Gibbs. "We're looking for a Rose Smith…which is her current name."

"The ID looked pretty good. She's room 103," the girl answered and added, "I don't have a second key but I also doubt you need one."

Fornell nodded thankful and the agents pulled out their guns why walking upstairs. It was an old building and it stank of trash and piss. "103," Fornell finally said and Gibbs knocked. "Caroline…it's us. Gibbs, Fornell and McGee. Open the door," he said and repeated the knocking.

No answer.

He sighed and nodded at McGee. He counted silently to three and together they kicked the door open. While Gibbs directly ran to Caroline, Fornell and McGee secured the room.

She was lying on the ground, her hand and feet bound together and at the bed. She also had a big ball-like tissue in the mouth and one to keep her from talking. Gibbs untied her and removed the tissues. "What happened?" he asked.

"It was my girlfriend. She used my laptop to find out where Tony is and tied me up," she explained.

"Your _girl_friend?" Fornell asked surprised.

"Her name's Janet Jones…although I doubt that it's her real name."

"What else can you tell me?" Fornell asked while he already typed in the numbers for calling his agent at the safe house.

"We met in Italy a few weeks ago, then she was with me in England and I was surprised that she followed me here."

"She didn't follow you. I think she's connected to three murders by Lee Danes."

"What?" Caroline asked surprised and Gibbs explained, "her pattern of travel has similarities with the same crime scene pattern of three murders committed on the order of Danes. She is also our main suspect to having killed Ziva."

"Oh my god," Caroline muttered while McGee removed her last ties and helped her up.

"Nobody answers," Fornell said and put the phone back into his pocket.

"Then call the local police. Where exactly did you drive him?" Gibbs shouted furiously.

* * *

It has become evening and Tony was doing the dishes. He watched Dylan phoning someone outside. He couldn't tell if it was the FBI or Danes, Tony didn't trust anybody these days. Ziva had been killed while being in a safe house, safe houses weren't any safe these days. He needed to get out of here if he wanted to survive. He shook his head. He couldn't stay here any longer and wait for a call that the FBI had been successful.

After all, when had the FBI ever done something in time for him. He was a fucking very special agent and he could deal with gangsters himself. All his time he had been hiding from Danes, running from his past and from what has happened back then. He had relied on the other agents long enough.

* * *

"How far is it?" Gibbs complained.

"One hour this street," Fornell answered. He was driving which annoyed Gibbs even more. After they had called the local police and the responsible FBI agent, they immediately went back to the car and drive there on their own. McGee and Caroline sat on the back seats, she had only argued herself into the car because they hadn't had time to call for back-up to arrest her.

"One more hour," McGee muttered. He really had to stay here for such a long time with his boss and Fornell who constantly argued about the safety of their agents. He looked over to Caroline. She looked pretty calm and disciplined. Perhaps because it didn't interest her at all. He needed to remind himself that she was nothing more than a criminal who nearly did everything for the right money. But she was damn good looking, he thought.

It took them fifty-two minutes to arrive at the house as Fornell had adapted Gibbs' style of driving. They jumped out while Caroline had to stay in the car. She was handcuffed and still belted. She sighed and waited until the agents were out of sighed. Then she shook her head so that her hair clip fell out. She caught it with her legs and tried to bring it to her hands.

She had done this a few times before but it was still work to open the handcuffs. She heard some gunshots and finally was freed again. She crawled to the co-driver's seat and was lucky: there was a loaded gun in the glove box. Must be Fornell's second one, she thought when she picked it. She ran toward the house when another gunshot was to be heard.

Then she entered the only room of the small wooden house. Fornell was lying on the ground, holding his arm, obviously injured. There were two men in black clothes who fired their guns toward Gibbs and McGee who hid in the open kitchen and behind the small cupboard.

Caroline didn't hesitate but shot the two men several times in the chests until they fell down. Only when she saw Gibbs' and McGee's shocked faces, she knew that someone was behind her.

Then she felt it. It was the warmth that was so awkward and she didn't need to turn around to see that Janet was standing behind her. Caroline felt how she pulled the knife out of her body again. Slowly, she looked around and saw her expressionless face.

"All the time?" Caroline whispered. A single tear was running down her cheek.

"All the time," Janet answered and nodded. She has never felt anything for her, everything has always been for finding Tony.

Caroline nodded, she felt somehow lucky. Janet grew bigger and bigger until she noticed that she was falling down. She hit the cold floor and her head made a dump noise when it reached the ground.

There was a loud noise, another one and Janet fell backward. Caroline looked at her beautiful body falling lifelessly and then she turned to McGee who came rushing over to her.

"Everything will be alright," he muttered.

Caroline smiled. Everything _was _alright. Tony was safe now, forever. And he had a wonderful child. And a wonderful life waiting for him. So she nodded silently and closed her eyes. The warmth was covering her and she was slowly gliding into darkness…


End file.
